Staffs Police cuts red tape with mobile training

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Staffordshire Police is streamlining staff productivity and effectiveness with new training designed to maximise the efficient use of mobile devices.

The force’s Mobile Data Project aims to mobilise police officers by streaming desktop-bound systems to devices like personal digital assistants (PDAs), cutting down on desk-bound administration and allowing staff to complete reports remotely.

Allan Pettman, managing director at Parity Training, explained: “While mobile devices themselves are not new, the ability to use them as interfaces to core business and policing applications is.”

The force is working with Parity to train its officers to use the devices and software in instructor-led classes based on a ratio of one to six. And, once trained, the systems can save officers up to 30 minutes per shift, as they are able to send and receive information while on the beat.

Training is further supported with troubleshooting surgeries based at police stations across the county, to facilitate the widespread and effective adoption of the new mobile functionality across its organisation.

In the last six months training on accessing critical applications and submitting information to them via the mobile devices has been delivered to 1,200 staff. And further phases of training are planned to begin in April for another 900 officers and police community support officers.

A spokesperson at Staffordshire Police said officers can now carry out checks at the scene of suspected crimes by accessing applications remotely, including checking vehicle registrations and looking at the profiles of suspects.

And officers now upload more than 80 per cent of crime reports, and update more than 50 per cent of incident details via PDAs.

The Staffordshire Mobile Data Project was a result of a £50-million Home Office initiative that aimed to deliver 10,000 mobile data devices to 27 forces across the UK in 2008. This funding was extended by a further £30 million for 2009, to extend the mobile devices roll out to a further 25 police forces. 


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